AVON, Ind. – While the new trade agreement between the Trump Administration and China has been welcomed news for many U.S. farm organizations, others are mixed about the deal.

On Oct. 30, China pledged buy 12 million tons of U.S. soybeans this season and at least 25 million tons annually for the next three years. As part of the trade agreement, China said it will suspend all the retaliatory tariffs applied to U.S. agricultural products, including chicken, wheat, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, aquatic products, fruits, vegetables and dairy products.

David Hardin, who raises soybeans and corn on his farm near Avon, Ind., and is an Indiana Soybean Alliance board member, said he is cautiously optimistic about the announcement.

“The fact that they have agreed to take 12 million metric tons this year has been a big boost to the soybean market after months of lacking direction,” he said. “The guarantee that China will buy 25 million metric tons per year for the following three years helps give the market some certainty about a minimum level of Chinese business.”

However, he said, “We still haven’t seen all the details of the agreement, and there hasn’t been official confirmation from the Chinese except that U.S. beans will continue to have a 13 percent tariff on them. The 25 million number is near the low end of what sales have been for the last four years, but at least we have a floor under the market now. The last two trade wars have led to a huge expansion of the Brazilian growing area. Competition with South America will only become tougher in the future.”

Brian Duncan, president of Illinois Farm Bureau and Ogle, Ill., farmer, said, “We have seen the impact of the lack of soybean orders have on the bottom line for farmers in Illinois and across the nation. Our goal is to see fair access for our farmers in foreign markets. We continue to advocate for permanent, enforceable trade agreements that open markets, eliminate unfair barriers and give long-term certainty.”

Tom Adam, Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) president and fifth-generation Harper, Iowa, farmer, and Grant Kimberley, ISA senior director of market development and sixth-generation Maxwell, Iowa, farmer, told Farm World in a Nov. 5 joint statement, with the market price for a bushel of soybeans increasing by more than 60 cents on the news of China’s purchase, it’s a reminder that markets under-performed throughout the year.

“As the markets wait for China’s announced purchases to become actual orders, ISA continues to advocate for the EPA’s finalization of renewable volume obligations for 2026 (a record 5.61 billion gallons), a reallocation of proposed small refinery exemptions, diversifying international demand through new trade partnerships and addressing chronically high fertilizer and crop input prices that strain farmer cash flow and opportunities for profit,” the statement said.

Bob Thompson, Michigan Farmers Union president, told ABC12 News in Flint, concerning the new trade deal, “The idea that there has been a significant gain here is woefully misstated. I think that it’s well known that statements are made and then sometimes the follow through isn’t as strong as we would like.

“I guess the farmer in me is an internal optimist that likes to think that things are going to turn out well and I certainly hope that that’s the case here,” he said, adding the new trade agreement falls short of initial expectations. “Certainly, it is better than the zero that we had. But we probably would have had at least twice or more beans shipped.”

Ryan Marquardt, Iowa Farmers Union vice president and a Van Meter, Iowa, farmer, said, “The Iowa Farmers Union welcomes any progress that opens markets for U.S. farmers. Farmers know that trade relationships are built on trust. That trust takes years to build, and can be broken in moments, and may take decades to repair.

“We urge the Trump Administration to pursue fair, transparent, and stable trade policies that prioritize family farmers and strengthen the long-term health of Iowa’s rural economy,” he said. “As a soybean farmer and fifth-generation Iowa farmer, I know my family would appreciate it.”